The Fires of Evolution
by Thorber Stone
Summary: Great changes are happening throughout the world. The creatures are in turmoil, growing fiercer, more violent, and it is not just them, but the people too. Their minds are becoming darker, more cruel. Who, or what is behind it all? Will the young psychic, Tom, his friends and Professor Oak get to the bottom of it in time? Is there even time left?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_All our lives, we live with the acknowledgement that all things change over time. Life, is about evolution. The evolution and adaptation to new things. Well, our world is changing. And with it, our way of life as we've known it._

_We come from a world where whole cultures were built around the acquisition and training of animals, creatures with unique and remarkable abilities, to be used in battle with one another, for the glory of the trainers. A whole world dedicated to one cockfight after another, where you are expected to be about catching them all, and making them into your subjects, and to conquer one another in battle after battle._

_But there are changes happening. All around us, the way of the world is...evolving. Just like we frequently use that term when our pets grow, we call it evolution. Well, now, the world is changing, and it will take us all by storm. Unless we evolve with it ourselves._

_But there's more to it than that. It's these animals all around us; they're changing in ways we can't even begin to understand. Modern technology allows us to carry them in tiny spherical devices known simply as a container ball, and people took to calling them pocket monsters._

_But who are the monsters, really?_

_They're sentient, these "animals" we like to catch for our own uses. They have language, cultures, even a soul. We aren't of their world, we came here, we took it from them, dominated them, as we're wont to do. But now, something is happening, and those of us gifted enough to sense it know, it's going to make us change our way of life, if we want to survive._

_We have to evolve, and become better, or perish, beneath something superior..._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He paused a moment, where he stood, and inhaled. The air was crisp, clear. No clouds in the sky, and it was all blue, with bright sunlight shining down into the valley, and the city which was his destination a mile or so away. Despite this, the air overall was cold, so he wore his long black trench coat over his dark sweater, pants and boots.

He was just exiting the bright green forest, and many people would have enjoyed the scenic calmness surrounding him. But he was not smiling.

His companion was a massive chelonian creature significantly larger than him in both height and girth. Its skin was a mottled ocean blue, with a rounded dark brown shell which engulfed most of its body, giving it protection. In addition to that, it had a powerful beaked mouth, thick armor plates around its head and thick layered skin. The most interesting physical feature it had, however, was the cannon-like formations growing out of either one of its shoulders.

It exhaled a noisy breath of air and rumbled at the man, who nodded at it. The two made their way into the city.

Although it had the looks and the makings of an advanced state, there were signs of trouble. There were far more police officers roaming the city than there were civilians. People walked in groups of no less than four, all of them bearing their array of Container Balls, indicating they had pets that would fight for them if they were threatened.

It was a city in a state of terror.

The new arrivals certainly attracted attention, a man and a giant blue turtle walking side-by-side weren't a common sight apparently. The officers studied him without expression, but when he looked at them, they looked away. The civilians simply gave him and his friend a wide berth, preferring to keep to themselves.

"What's your business here?" One officer finally challenged as he made it to the center of the city.

"Passing through, that's all." He calmly replied.

The officer took out a notepad, "State your name."

"Thomas Valentine."

"And your pet?"

Tom folded his arms and looked straight at the officer, "He's not a pet."

The officer suddenly put his notepad away and pulled out a red-and-white container ball, "Are you tryin' to be funny, son? _Not_ your pet?"

Tom didn't shift his stance, or back away, and if anything, the blue turtle looked more than ready to respond in kind to the officer, until the young man held his hand out in front of the turtle. "He's my friend and his name's Gumbarr."

"Blara nâs Ung ta bo!" Gumbarr said, his voice deep, booming, and had a slight echo.

"What?" The officer looked confused.

Tom shook his head, "No, Gumbarr, I don't think it will be necessary."

The officer raised his hand with the ball, "You talk to a...a blastoise? What kinda game you tryin'a pull here?"

Tom sighed, "I'm not here to play games. If I make you uncomfortable, let me be on my way. I'm just passing through, I have no interest in staying here, anyhow."

Considering this, the officer finally lowered his hand, "All right, but get out, and fast!"

And that was when a man, dressed similarly to Tom spoke out, "What's going on here?"

The officer blanched, turning around, his hand shaking. "Uh, n-nothing sir."

"Then I guess you'll be on your way then." He said, but his tone indicated it was more of an order.

"Right you are sir!" He tipped his hat, nodded at Tom, and said, "You have a nice day now."

And he was all but flying down a lane, out of sight within seconds. The newcomer smirked, and gestured to Tom, "Walk with me."

"Something tells me I do not have a choice." Tom observed, and the man chuckled.

"You're a perceptive one, I like you." As they began to walk towards a tall building, Tom watched the people began to clear the streets completely, only the bravest not outright fleeing, but still pressing against building walls.

The young man frowned, Gumbarr plodding alongside the two men, "You have this whole city controlled by fear."

"Indeed." The man did not deny this, "A hierarchy has been established in this city. Newcomers are personally welcomed by me or my fellow members."

"Even if the newcomer is only passing through?"

"Oh..._especially_ if they're only passing through." He grinned none-too-kindly. "As we control this city, we dictate the rules, and all conduct is followed to the letter, if you know what's good for you."

Two more men in black attire and black berets walked out of the tall building, now heading towards them. Tom folded his arms, looking directly at the man talking to him, "So what's the payment you're essentially extorting from me? And do I have the honor of at least knowing your identity?"

The man scowled now, "You may be perceptive, but you're not too smart, that's for sure. Since you're so curious, I am James, of Rocket."

Tom arched an eyebrow, _Rocket? They're not too imaginative._ He thought. "All right, James of Rocket, so what's going to happen now?"

James extended his hand, gesturing to Gumbarr, "Walking around with a specimen as rare as that is an invitation for us to claim it as tribute to us for letting you go through our fine city."

One of the other Rockets now spoke, "Now, don't bother going up in arms about it being your pet all your life. Everyone here has to give tribute, all the animals here belong to us. If we want it, we take it."

Gumbarr growled and pawed at the ground angrily, Tom nodded at the turtle, and then turned to James and his friends, "I wasn't going to protest. I know it's obviously been said, based on your reckless assumption that you rule all that you see. However, just as the police officer had made this mistake, you too assume that Gumbarr is my pet. He's free to make his own choices if he wants to go with you."

He moved back, away from the three men, who grinned maliciously, "You're a smart man who knows what's good for him."

"**FLOOTAH BA ONKEE!**" Gumbarr roared at the men, who finally doubled backwards.

"Did that thing just speak?!" One of the Rocketeers said.

"That thing just spoke!" Another declared.

"Enough!" James barked, and threw down a ball. The explosion created smoke, and eventually cleared away, revealing a large serpentine creature, "If you won't go easily, we'll just take you by force."

"If you're that determined..." Tom said, "...Gumbarr, it's your field if you want this."

"Ba oto Dooma!" Gumbarr rumbled.

"He says he'll take you all on. Unless you want to live." Tom translated.

"Whatever!" James pointed at the giant blue turtle, and ordered his own creature, "ATTACK!"

The serpent hissed and lunged forward. It was a very large snake with purplish skin and emerald plated eyes. Moving with great speed, it quickly wrapped itself around Gumbarr's wide body.

"The bite of an ekans is lethal." James informed, "I would suggest you tell your pet to surrender, unless you fancy watching a mighty blastoise dying to poison."

Tom sighed, "You keep calling him my pet."

Gumbarr roared and stomped hard on the tail of the snake just as it was about to bite into one of the few weak points in his armor: the underside of his neck.

The pain forced the snake to loosen its grip on Gumbarr, who used one of his large, clawed legs to cut and impale the serpent, and free himself of it. The creature almost knocked James over if he hadn't ducked. "My ekans!"

"DO ZUMBA!" Gumbarr shouted and stamped the ground with his hind feet. Despite the danger, several spectators had begun to surround the battle.

Grunting and exhaling vapor, the massive chelonian looked challengingly at the two remaining Rocketeers, who had produced their own creatures now, a creature that looked much like a tortoise as well, but with a longer neck, orangy tan skin, and a dark shell that looked like it was made of obsidian and lava. Smoky steam vented from its nose and the top of its shell. Another creature looked like it was some sort of mass of plant-based tentacles. A Tangela, as some liked to call it.

"Gumbarr, be careful." Tom cautioned his friend, and then spoke without moving his lips, in a way that only the turtle can hear, (( The plant is dangerous to you, take out the torkoal first, and then we need to leave. ))

Hunkering down, Gumbarr replied, "Dagwa. Wotanga bo." His front legs pawed the ground again and again now.

Tom understood the gestures, and raised his left hand, his index and middle fingers pressed together tightly as he shouted, "You are in danger! Return to your homes at once!"

His eyes focused for a moment, and blood slowly trickled down his nose. A shattering sound was heard and James looked up at Tom in amazement, "His eyes!"

Tom's eyes looked like shattered glass. At the same time, all the observing citizens suddenly fled the immediate area in panic.

"Now, Gumbarr!" Tom shouted as he leaped high into the air.

The blastoise roared as he reared back and then slammed down violently, shaking the ground with enough force to knock everyone off their feet. Great cracks and rents in the ground where Gumbarr had landed showed. Tom landed, unscathed, having anticipated this. While they were still reeling, Gumbarr lowered himself down, and took aim with one of the cannons on his shoulders, and began to suck in all the moisture in the air around him, drew it into the cannon's barrel, and then with a loud explosive noise, fired a sphere of water with hyper kinetic force. The liquid projectile slammed into the fiery tortoise, slamming into its side, and shattering its shell. The impact and momentum threw the creature right into its owner, sending the both of them flying twenty feet.

Gumbarr roared as vines wrapped around his body and legs, constricting and immobilizing him. The Tangela had recovered from the ground shake. More vines rose up into the air, waving about in a threatening manner for a while, then they moved like a blur of motions as they whipped and slashed at the majestic creature with killing force. Cracks in his shell began to show, and blood from dozens of wounds began to flow out freely.

"Gumbarr!" Tom raced to his friend's air, until a single vine simple slammed him aside, "**UNFF!**"

He fell to the ground, unconscious, and James raised a clenched fist, "Stop, don't kill the blastoise. Just make sure he won't be doing anymore fighting anytime soon."

He stood up, chuckling, "Well, that was certainly a surprise!" He wiped himself clean with his hands, "A psychic! Who would imagine? But travelling with a rare specimen like a blastoise, that's going against the norm, isn't it?"

he drew back a leg and kicked Tom in the side with enough force, he heard something crack in the young man. "That's for trying to be a hero."

"And this..." another kick, "...well, just because I can."

As Tom's body shifted with the kicking, James noticed something roll out of the young man's trenchcoat. "What's this? A container ball? You have more pets on you?"

He bent down and lifted it up to examine the ball, "I wonder what's in **AAARRRHH!**"

Sparks of electricity crackled through the air as James realized too late that the ball had no button running along the center of the line between the red and white color coating. This was a living creature. It had two semi-metallic depressions in the red section of its body that were its eyes, and it was electrocuting James with enough voltage to incapacitate him for a long time.

Stunned, James collapsed and the spherical creature used its electromagnetic powers to keep itself afloat as it turned around to face the last remaining Rocketeer and the Tangela.

"Take it down!" The Rocketeer shouted desperately at the living plant.

Unfortunately, the plant couldn't even touch the ball-shaped creature as its electricity fried any of the vines reaching for it, and then, its eyes turned into bright white light as it charged itself up and unleashed a deafening sonic scream simultaneously as it sent a bolt of lightning in the direction of the plant and its owner, burning and knocking them both out.

The last of the Rocketeers defeated, the floating ball remained between Gumbarr and Tom, both wounded and unable to move of their own accord, when a young lady emerged out of hiding, her irises were a strange gleaming red in color, and she was followed closely by a strange floating disc that looked like it was made of molten rock and had protrusions pointing in all directions of the compass, and a small bird with fancy feathers on the top of its head. The voltorb glanced at the girl, ready to defend Tom and Gumbarr, but she stared directly at it, not saying a word. But she moved with deliberate care, and eventually, the ball mimic allowed her to proceed. She nodded at the floating disc, actually a solrock, which ambled forward and the two slits that were its eyes began to glow brightly.

More darkly dressed men were emerging from the tall building. The girl turned to the small bird, "Now." She said and the bird began to fly around the unconscious Tom and Gumbarr at high speed even as the solrock's telekinesis began to work, and lifted them both off the ground. The bird's movements and wings began to raise a small dust storm.

When the Rocketeers reached the immediate area and the dust settled, only the Rocketeers' own fallen teammates and their creatures were left behind.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

When Tom came to, he was immediately greeted with pain in his chest and he winced, which made the pain worse. "AGH!"

"Lie still, you fool!" A young female voice said sternly. "You'll undo all the wrappings I've just put on you."

"Who...what?" Tom stared at the girl, who had a solrock and a pidgey on either side of her.

"Trying to read my mind?" She asked with a look, "Better than you have tried. So stop. Plus, you're seriously injured. James is a brutal man."

"Hnh! My friend...Gumbarr...is he...?" Tom still tried to sit up, get a better look around.

"For the last time, you idiot, lie down! Your blastoise is fine!" She gently but firmly pushed Tom back on the bed, and at the same time gestured with her head to the other side of the cramped room, where a slumbering Gumbarr with green wrappings around his wounds was visible. And at last, Tom complied with the girl.

"Your compassion for your friend is commendable, but you're no good to anyone without the proper medical administration." She informed him as she reset the bandages and splints. "Consider yourself lucky I have enough training to know how to fix a broken rib and punctured lung."

"You're a doctor?" Tom asked.

"Hah! I wish." She shook her head, "No, ever since the Rocketeers came to town, I couldn't go along with the others in giving them medical treatment. Ended my internship early. But I know enough."

"You're psychic too." Tom observed as he lay back, slowly relaxing. If she intended him harm, she would have left him to the Rocketeers.

"Yes." Was her only answer, then she looked at him, her blue eyes glinting in the pale light of the room's lamps, "My name is Anis. Now rest. You're safe here."

As his eyes slowly closed, he noticed her leaving his side to check on Gumbarr, and his other friend, the voltorb, was nestled comfortably on a small desk, where it passively watched everything.

While he was grateful for Anis' help, he realized the Rocketeers would be looking for him now. And if he stayed here too long, he would be putting Anis in danger.

As soon as he was able, he and Gumbarr were leaving.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"So run it by me again," a well dressed gentleman of Italian descent said, "you had a very rare specimen right within your grasp, with two fellow Rocketeers to back yous up? And where is this fine specimen now?"

James looked at the man, "Mr. Giovanni..."

A loud noise like a crack and a crunch put together resounded through the room. The other Rocketeers present could not help but wince when James was violently struck across the face by a purplish tendril that reached out from under Giovanni's right sleeve and then retracted.

A strange oozing material slowly leaked out from the same sleeve and solidified into the shape of a gentleman's walking stick, taking on a black lacquered color and rich pattern. A ditto.

James spat out a broken tooth and blood to one side, his face painfully bruised. "Sir...he was psychic, and he had more than one pet..."

"Do you realize the problem yous created now, Jimmy?" Giovanni interrupted, "It don't matter how it happened. But you know what dem peoples see? Rocketeers got beaten by a young boy."

Abruptly Giovanni swung his hand upwards and struck James on the other side of his face. More blood, another tooth loosened. Rocketeers stepped back.

"Next thing, I'm gonna have citizens fancying themselves heroes, and there goes _La Cosa Nostra_." He gestured around him, "I like you, Jimmy, but I can't let no one, and I mean no one, ruin my business, my plans."

The walking stick turned into a blade, which Giovanni raised with his right hand and struck downwards. Except James caught the blade with his bare hand. The sharp edges cut into his skin, but he held on, through gritted teeth, and pushed the blade away, forcing Giovanni to stumble back.

Now the Rocketeers stepped forward hesitantly. "Not, until I've had my revenge on Thomas Valentine." James growledge wiping the blood from his palm with his other hand.

"You had your chance, Jimmy." Giovanni said, and he nodded at the other Rocketeers.

Three men rushed forward and grabbed James.

Like a man gone mad, James roared, backhanded the nearest man to his right, then swept his left leg in a wide arc, knocking another assailant off his feet, and the last man, a large one barreled forward, James spun into a crouch and then leaped up, bringing his knee with him, and smashed it painfully into his groin. Needless to say, he was not going to have children, or speak with a normal voice ever again.

"What's the matter, Mr. Giovanni?" James shouted as two more men desperately lunged forward and grabbed his arms, "You can't deal with me yourself?! Give me the boy! **_I_** was the one who was humiliated by him...him and that stupid voltorb of his!"

Giovanni watched, his mouth agape, as James whirled so hard, he brought the two men holding him down, placed a foot on one man's throat, threatening to crush it, and driving his fist down on the chest of the other, even while both men held on to him. "You think you're the only one who suffered?! I suffered too! Let me take care of this psychic, and you'll have your precious reputation intact. Let his death be warning to all people that you don't fight the Rocketeers!"

***CRACK!***

James collapsed to the floor, after Giovanni struck him on the back of the head, the man's vision blurring, until...

**~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~**

...he was still in Giovanni's personal office, in the penthouse floor of the building. And Giovanni was there, sitting behind his desk, nursing a drink in a shot glass.

None of the other Rocketeers were in sight.

"All right, Jimmy." Giovanni said without even looking in James' direction. "I'll give yous one last chance to clear away with me."

He then turned to look at the man, who was slowly picking himself off the floor, "But you screw up this time, and yous on ice, you got it?"

Rubbing the back of his head gently, James nodded.

"Good." Giovanni leaned back, "You impressed me, boy, defying me like that in front o' the others. Despite what I said, you're still _goomba_. S'why I'm willin' to reconsider just this once. Don't make me regret it."

"You won't." James said in a low voice, staring back at his boss through hooded eyes, "I want this Tommy Valentine. I'll find him."

Giovanni nodded, steepling his fingers together as he leaned on his desk, "I'm sure you would. You got balls, kid, no doubt about that. But you ain't got it all. It ain't gonna be enough."

"Sir..." James tried to protest lightly.

Giovanni pointed at him, "Despite what you think, Tommy Valentine didn't defy you. He defied _me_. And for that, he's gotta be put on ice. So I'm not taking any chances. It's time for you to take a partner."

James slammed his palm against the desk, "Tom is mine and mine alone! I don't need no stinkin' partner!"

"I ain't arguin' this with you, kid, you're takin' a partner, and that's that. You want Tommy? Fine, but you're going to have someone to make sure the job gets done right."

The leader of the Rocketeers leaned back and gestured behind James, "Jimmy, meet Jessie."

James whirled around, and watched as a tall woman with blood-red hair coolly sauntered forward, stroking a beige colored feline creature nestled in her arms. The creature had large eyes, a strange coin-like protrusion on its forehead and slightly pronounced fangs. As for the woman, aside from her stunning hair color, was very well formed, with a haughty expression on her face, and dressed in provocative attire. Her short skirt ensured that her ample legs were fully displayed for all to see. James studied her up and down, and he realized she was doing the same to him, with a smirk, as opposed to his perplexed expression.

"Jessie, James. James, Jessie." Giovanni said, gesturing to each of the two as he named them, "You've met. Now, Jessie, you'll be working with Jimmy 'ere. Since you'll be spending a lot of time together, I suggest you make sure he understands what you can do. And Jimmy, remember, this is your last chance. You mess this up..." He used his thumb to draw a line across the throat.

"I look forward to getting to know you." Jessie said, her voice like ice. "I've heard so much about Jimmy Rocket. I'm sure it would be twice as exciting to see the real deal in action."

She continued stroking the cat-like creature in her arms, and it purred contentedly.

"Likewise." James said cautiously. He had heard about Jessie, and she left few to no witnesses alive in her wake wherever she went.

"All right, all that's settled then. Now go, find Tom Valentine, and make sure he's iced. Don't come back until he's deader than dead, you hear me?" Giovanni said.

"Yes, Mr. Giovanni." Jessie turned to the Rocket leader and responded in a sultry tone that differed from how she had just spoken with James.

The two quietly left the room, with James warily watching the woman as they left.

They said that her hair was colored by the blood of her victims.


End file.
